An Undying Oath, Guardians on the Same Path

As dusk slowly descended on another part of the Realm of Primordial Echoes, the sky was dyed with a tapestry of crimson and pale gold, and the flowing light seemed to scatter like a celestial river, sprinkling onto the edge of a tranquil lake. The lake water was as clear as a mirror, reflecting the figures of Qin Yu, Yunyi, and Hong Xiuxiang, with gentle ripples as if to freeze this brief moment of tranquility into eternity.

Qin Yu sat on the lakeside, the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword behind him silently embedded in the earth, its blade reflecting the sunlight as if in slumber. He exhaled a long breath, raised his eyes to look at the lake, his gaze no longer as cold and stern as it had been on the battlefield, but instead carrying a relaxed and gentle warmth.

Yunyi sat cross-legged, her long hair cascading down like a waterfall. A few stray strands drifted across the lake's surface, creating delicate ripples. Her dragon eyes, no longer possessing their annihilating power, now shimmered with a gentle light, like the tenderest stars in the night sky. Occasionally, she playfully glanced up at Qin Yu, her eyes carrying a hint of a smile, as if silently saying, "Little Qinzi, you finally have a moment where you don't have to bear this burden alone."

Hong Xiuxiang sat on the other side, gently stroking her newly acquired Brocade Ink Soul Brush. The ink-black brush exuded a delicate fragrance in the evening breeze, intertwining with her naturally cool and gentle temperament to create a serene beauty. Gazing at her reflection in the lake, her gaze slightly unfocused, a warm feeling welled up in her heart. At this moment, she was no longer the Supreme disciple of the Dawn Cloud First Hall, but simply a woman resting with a friend, secretly rejoicing: Qin Yu was still alive, and she could still stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

On the lake, dozens of Silent Origin Butterfly danced gracefully in the light and shadow, as if weaving a romantic picture for the three of them. The wind gently blew through the flowers and trees, bringing a faint fragrance, and the air was filled with a long-lost tranquility.

Qin Yu suddenly reached out and caught a petal that had drifted down in the wind in his palm. He gazed at it quietly for a moment, then turned to look at the two women and said softly:

"I am grateful for your companionship and support these past few days. No matter how treacherous the road ahead, I will never let you get hurt."

Upon hearing this, a gentle ripple stirred deep within Yunyi's dragon-like eyes. She nodded softly and murmured, "Little Qinzi, don't worry, I'll always be clinging to you for the rest of my life. Hehe."

Hong Xiuxiang's heart trembled slightly. She gripped the Brocade Ink Soul Brush tightly, pursed her lips, and softly replied, "Me too. Even if the future is still filled with bloodshed and Annihilation, I don't want to miss any more opportunities to stand shoulder to shoulder with you."

The evening breeze carried their words across the lakeside, where starlight and butterfly shadows intertwined. In that moment, they were no longer warriors bearing their fate, but each other's most cherished companions.

The wind rustled gently by the lake, and the sunset painted the sky crimson, its reflection on the lake resembling a flowing, blood-red galaxy. Qin Yu's gaze was deep as he slowly revealed the memories buried deep within his heart.

Yunyi gazed at him silently, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, a barely perceptible glint in her dragon eyes. Her voice was soft yet trembling. "Little Qinzi... Where is Yan Yue? She was beside you before I fell into a deep sleep, and afterwards I could no longer sense her presence."

Qin Yu remained silent for a long time, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the petals, before finally speaking in a low voice, as if slowly peeling away the heavy burden weighing on his chest:

"Also in the Heavenly Emanation Treasure Realm... At that time, I fought alongside Yan Yue against ten dark beings. The battle was fierce, the heavens and earth shattered, and life trajectories burned. Yan Yue fought with all her might to protect me, and was severely injured to the point of almost destroying her soul. Just when I was in despair, she... was rescued by someone."

He slowly raised his eyes, a complex light flashing in them. "That person is my soulmate, Void Threshold Empress — Huayan."

"Huayan..." Qin Yu's voice carried a hint of awe and resentment, "She doesn't belong to this Source of Source of Epochless, but is the Lord of the Void Realm. She wields the dual origins of 'Emptiness' and 'Threshold,' transcending all known realms. With a single thought, she can utterly Annihilation all existence, Fate Soul, and even the logic of the script, returning them to nothingness. She... rescued Yan Yue."

As soon as he finished speaking, the wind by the lake seemed to stop as well.

Yunyi's heart skipped a beat, and a deep shock welled up in the depths of her eyes. She considered herself a supreme soul dragon of the Annihilation Abyss level, but Qin Yu's "Void Emptiness Realm" completely surpassed her understanding, even beyond the comprehension of Source of Epochless's logical system. She murmured, "So, she exists in such a way... No wonder I can no longer sense Yan Yue's aura."

Qin Yu's expression darkened, and he whispered as if making a vow, "Yan Yue will not simply vanish; I will find her again."

Yunyi nodded slightly, her voice Wenwan: "Little Qinzi, I believe you. I will go with you to find Sister Yan Yue."

Meanwhile, Hong Xiuxiang, standing to the side, subtly tightened her grip on the Brocade Ink Soul Brush, her heart filled with both shock and heaviness. Although she had never personally experienced the Heavenly Emanation Treasure Realm, she could sense the suppressed pain and obsession in Qin Yu's words.

As for Minguang ... Qin Yu finally raised his hand and gently touched his brow, whispering, "She is still asleep in my sea of consciousness, the wound of nothingness is too deep. I will wait until that day to bring them all back."

The atmosphere instantly became as still as a deathly abyss, with only the shimmering surface of the lake casting long shadows of the three people.

At this moment, Qin Yu's vow seemed to drown out the wind in the entire Realm of Primordial Echoes.

As the sunset cast its glow, the lake rippled with shimmering light. Hong Xiuxiang gazed quietly at Qin Yu's profile, her heart filled with unprecedented turmoil.

It turns out that behind Qin Yu are two other incredibly powerful beings.

Yan Yue a name she had only heard of from the sidelines. Only now did she realize that Yan Yue had given everything for Qin Yu and had been forced into a deep, severely injured sleep.

And that Void Threshold Empress Huayan, the Lord of the Void Realm, was actually able to transcend all realms and disintegrate all existence with "Annihilation in a single thought." Qin Yu's casual remark alone was enough to make Hong Xiuxiang feel an invisible sense of oppression.

She lowered her eyes, her slender fingers gently caressing the handle of the Brocade Ink Soul Brush, as if the subtle whispers of the book spirit could also sense the trembling in her heart.

"Only Book Realm, the Supreme..." she murmured to herself, her eyes gradually hardening.

She knew all too well that although she had been regarded as a core disciple of the Dawn Cloud First Hall, possessed an unparalleled martial soul and the newly acquired Brocade Ink Soul Brush, she was still far too insignificant compared to the vast karma that Qin Yu bore. The Lord of the Void Realm... Just imagining such an existence made her chest tighten, and she could hardly breathe.

But another voice whispered in my heart—

Even if it is such a Void Lord, I must be qualified to stand beside Qin Yu.

Hong Xiuxiang raised her eyes, a resolute light shining in her watery eyes. She looked at Qin Yu's retreating figure and gently bit her lip. At that moment, she had secretly made up her mind:

She must become stronger, she must break through the limitations of the Only Book Realm, no matter how treacherous the road ahead or how dire the cost.

"Qin Yu..." she silently called out in her heart, her fingers gripping the pen tighter. "The people around you are all capable of overthrowing Source of Epochless. If I don't strive to follow them, one day I will become an obstacle in your path. But I don't want to be the shadow you leave behind."

The wind blew, her clothes fluttered, and her long hair flowed freely, as if she had made a silent vow in this tranquil Realm of Primordial Echoes.

The lingering charm of the flower sea remained, and the light flowing in the void was soft and tranquil. Hong Xiuxiang stood beside Qin Yu, but her heart was in turmoil. She suppressed everything in her heart, but Yunyi still keenly noticed it.

Yunyi slightly raised her slender eyes, a gentle light flashing in her dragon-like pupils. She gently walked to Hong Xiuxiang, her smile playful yet deeply comforting, "Sister Hong Xiuxiang, don't worry. You don't have to protect Little Qinzi alone, we're all here for you."

She stretched out her slender hand, spirit flowers and butterfly shadows shimmering at her fingertips, her voice gentle and captivating. "We will search for Sister Yan Yue together, and we will find Sister Huayan together. And—we cannot forget the Annihilation Abyss Epoch, the world that Little Qinzi created with his own hands, where many more of our companions reside. What we must protect is not just the journey before us, but the entire Annihilation Era."

Hong Xiuxiang was stunned, her eyes widening slightly as she felt the warmth and kindness of this dragon spirit girl for the first time. Her heartstrings were touched, her tense will slowly relaxed, and her eyes even became slightly moist.

Qin Yu looked at the two of them, his heart trembling slightly. He finally spoke, explaining, "The Annihilation Abyss Epoch... that's a world I created myself before coming to the Source of Epochless, a world I poured my heart and soul into. Now, it's protected by my two beloveds— Qian Ruishan and Mu Qingwan —as well as my friends and elders. That is my root and my source."

His voice was calm, yet it carried an unshakeable power.

Upon hearing Hong Xiuxiang felt a surge of unfamiliar yet resolute warmth welling up inside her. She looked at Qin Yu and suddenly realized that the man's back was more profound and weighty than she had imagined. Yunyi, standing beside her, gently placed her hand on her shoulder, her eyes flashing with unwavering sincerity. "Sister, we won't let Little Qinzi bear this alone. You are his partner, and also our family."

A breeze stirred the sea of flowers, causing the three of them to flutter their clothes, their fates becoming even more intertwined.

Hong Xiuxiang lowered her eyes gently, but her heart was churning with a thousand waves.

The Annihilation Abyss Epoch, a world Qin Yu created himself... There were his lovers, his best friends, and so many others who stood shoulder to shoulder with him. And what about herself? She was merely a wisp of light from a book spirit she encountered later. Even with her fortuitous encounter and her master's favor, the gap between her and him remained as vast as the chasm between Heavenly Abyss.

But when Yunyi's words reached her ears, the phrase "Sister, you are his partner, and also our family," Hong Xiuxiang's heart was suddenly deeply touched, as if a warm current had flowed into her heart.

She whispered silently in her heart:

"Yes, I am not a bystander, I cannot simply follow... I must stand shoulder to shoulder with them, whether the path ahead is light or abyss, whether the enemy is Phantom Demonic Spirit or an unknown, higher terror. Even if I am shattered to pieces, I will protect them."

She looked up at Qin Yu's retreating figure. At that moment, her eyes no longer held only admiration and respect, but ignited a burning determination that she herself was unaware of.

Qin Yu seemed to sense something and turned to look at her. In that instant, the vow surging in Hong Xiuxiang's heart was locked away, turning into a shy smile. Afraid of revealing too much, she could only gently purse her lips, letting the wind blow her long hair across her cheeks, concealing the ripples in her eyes.

Yunyi was watching from the side, smiled mischievously but said nothing more. She knew that such feelings did not need to be spoken.

The wind gradually subsided, the lingering fragrance of the flower sea faded, and the three figures stretched out under the Star Abyss- like radiance, heading deeper into the unknown Realm of Primordial Echoes.